Postgraduate research in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies
We offer training and research supervision in all major cultures and periods of the Middle East, delivered by experts whose publications contribute to their subject on the international level.
We play an active role in three Arts and Human Research Council-funded national consortia: the British Inter-University China Centre; the Centre for Advanced Study of the Arab World; and the Centre for the East European Language-based Area Studies.
View our range of programmes, and the support available for our postgraduate researchers.
Programmes
Finding a supervisor
Our postgraduate researcher students benefit from a very wide range of supervision, thanks to the diverse expertise of our academic staff. We also have a strong record of success in joint supervision, allowing you to work with two supervisors who have complementary specialist fields.
Our team's research interests include:
- Modern Islamic thought
- The role of women in the Muslim world
- Translation studies
- Israeli culture
- Modern Jewish thought
- 20th century relations between Europe and the Arab Middle East
- Classical Islamic history
- Shiism
- Rabbinic Judaism
- Turkic linguistics
- Pre-Islamic and Christian history of the Middle East
Resources
We offer excellent resources and support for the study of the Middle East.
The University of Manchester Library is one of the best in Europe, with a large Middle Eastern collection including one of the finest collections of manuscripts and early printed books in the UK. Its holdings include numerous Arabic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish, Hebrew and Syriac works.
The Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, often contains articles related to the Middle Eastern collections.
The University Museum and the Whitworth Art Gallery both contain extensive collections of material related to the Middle East.
Current PhD students
Find out what some of our current postgraduate researchers are working on:
- Eman Alamri – 'Graphic Novels and the Freedom for Manoeuvre: An Analytical and Comparative Study of Arab Immigrants’ Expression in Europe and the Middle East'
- Hind Aldossary - 'Saudi Women's Representation, Gender Roles, Power and Identity in Contemporary Novels'
- Fatema Alsaadi - 'Female Representation in the Work of the Egyptian Director Salah Abu Seif'
- Kaltham Alsuwaidi - 'Modes of Cultural Memory Narratives in 1980s T.V. interviews in Qatar: Audio-Visuals as a Mnemonic Device'
- Amina Ansari - 'Feminism in the Image and Identity of Hijab in 21st Century Fashion; A Comparison of Women in the West and the Arab World'
- Ikram Bennai – 'An Exploration of Individual Colonialism: The Continuous Effects of French Occupation on the Algerian Man'
Funding opportunities
Find out about the bursaries, scholarships and studentships available to support postgraduate research.
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Apply
Information about applying for a postgraduate research degree in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.
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Our research
Our researchers in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies contribute to the public debate on contemporary cultural-religious issues.
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Facilities
Enjoy state-of-the-art facilities with purpose-built rooms, resources and access to Manchester's internationally renowned cultural assets.
Graduate School
Home to our postgraduate student community, the Graduate School provides a place to meet, access resources and organise events.
Translation and Intercultural Studies
We offer postgraduate research supervision across our languages in collaboration with our Translation and Intercultural Studies experts.
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Linguistics and English Language
Our vibrant Linguistics and English Language department offers postgraduate research opportunities in combination with other modern languages.
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